Working Wednesday, February 5, 2020

~ Jenny

So on the 3rd I realized I’d boggled Lee’s DailyFebruary2020 by not drawing a damn thing. I had, however crocheted every day because that’s what keeps my fingernails out of the ceiling. So harking to her low-bar-benefits-everybody approach, I’m counting my crochet. It includes the hearts I made as a start for my temperature blanket and a scarf I started because this stray ball of yarn I had was annoying me (I’m on Day Two of that one). Anyway I crochet every day anyway, so I’m not sure that should count. I feel like I should be blazing new trails for Lee’s February. OTOH, low bar and a lot of horrible things–taxes, business–that I have to do, so crochet may be my only hope.

So what did you all make this week?

47 thoughts on “Working Wednesday, February 5, 2020”

      1. Thank you, Jenny and Diann. I was worried about this pullover because of its shape – it would not suit everyone, but it seems to suit Emma just fine.

  2. I think it counts! You’re making something with what you have. You can always add drawing tomorrow.

    Meanwhile I’ve been crocheting too. I’ve had this box of 109 mini skeins lying around, with about 20 of them made into squares. I picked it back up in January, and probably have gotten another 25 done, so I’m trying to make sure I do one square a day in Feb (if I make tomorrow, I know I can do it). In the end, I can put them all together and have a colorful blanket.

    I did a little sewing, but I’m looking toward the coming weekend to make any progress with that.

    Happy February!

  3. Love the hearts. I’m cheating a bit, too: I’m counting making my gardens, since that has to take priority whenever the soil’s workable and the day job allows. So some days I’m posting garden progress and others one of the photographs I’ve edited as I work through my backlog of garden photography.

    I was set back yesterday as I made a new bed alongside the kitchen. Unlike the soil I uncovered under the paving at the back, here it’s really poor: just gravel coated with soil over rubble and clay. There is some more soil where I dug out the Virginia creeper, but I don’t think it’s good enough for the rose I want to plant there. I’ve asked the RHS for advice; but I think I’ll probably dig out as much rubble as I can and mix in some topsoil – which I’m going to have to buy for the raised beds I’m having made.

    Today I’m working on my strawberry bed at the allotment, and also chasing my next editing job. Dentist tomorrow morning, but otherwise I hope to be gardening until the rain comes at the weekend. More climbers due tomorrow, and am waiting for David Austin to send me four roses.

      1. Enquiring minds want to know! I love Jude the Obscure, even though he (along with most others) up and died on me.

        1. I tried one called The Dark Lady at the cottage, which might work for you – I was warned that it really needed a warmer climate, and sure enough it didn’t thrive on the Welsh border. It’s crimson, though, rather than pale apricot like Jude.

      2. Falstaff and Lady of Shalott to grow against the fences, Munstead Wood and Morning Mist in the new bed, Morning Mist to be in front of the north-east facing kitchen window so I look through it. It grows to 6 ft and has hips after a long flowering season, so I’m hoping will attract small birds in winter. (I pondered a crabapple for this spot, but decided it’d get too big and dense.)

        The Lark Ascending and Lady Emma Hamilton to follow, once I’ve prepared places for them.

        I’m also growing non-David Austin roses: Bengal Crimson, Warm Welcome, Climbing Etoile de Hollande, Westerland, and later probably Rosa x odorata Mutabilis and Mrs Oakley Fisher. It’s all go here.

  4. Well, I haven’t done taxes yet. Or reviewed my 401k like intended. Or firmly set a budget… I sorta started the budget and that was it.

    I am working on my scarf at the work meeting! Started the third skein, of three, so almost done. I wanted to add tassels, but that would require purchasing more yarn (not too interested with cost, effort and distance). I’m moving to sparkly yarn after that.

    Im… sort of behind at work, but not awfully so. Worked at home last night a bit.

    The major goal of 2020 is to get on a new career path for both me and partner. We haven’t done much there, and I think that’s the most disappointing. 🙁 I need to sit and plan, but like all the things, that requires mental energy I struggle to find around work….

    I can’t tell if work slays me mentally enough that i dont want to do anything but veg, or if that’s lifestyle. Probably both. But … ok, stopping the whine.

    May you all have a productive day, week and February! I should do the Feb challenge for crocheting! That only leaves me a little behind! I’m doing it, Feb challenge (belatedly) accepted!!

  5. I have made casual little maps for daily February, keeping the bar low. So far no Instagram posts, because I deleted the app and haven’t felt like reinstalling, photographing, uploading.

    One day I mapped my typical project route, from The Gate of Good Intentions, around The Lake of Lagging, to The Height of Panic, and finally arriving at The Happy Ending.

    Yesterday, just before midnight, I Sharpied in two dots, labeled them “here” and “there,” and connected them for The Shortest Map.

  6. I’ve done a few rows of my complicated cable project. I un-did a lot of rows of my uncomplicated cable project once I realized I dropped stitches 🙁

    And I applied for another job. I don’t really care about the job and I wrote a very lackluster cover letter because there is nothing exciting or interesting about the job, but at least I did something.

    Also, February is still sucking like January, so getting anything at all done is impressive.

  7. Love the little hearts, Jenny! Still knitting like crazy on Husband’s blanket–we’re about done, I think because I’m into the last skein of yarn and I’m not buying any more. It should come out about 5′ x 6′, which seems like a decent-sized afghan. It’s only taken me a year and half so far–I desperately want to go back to scarves and dishcloths.

  8. I am making progress on the “projects to do while boss is gone” list, which is not necessarily creative (please, universe, keep these straightforward, not necessitating creative solutions!), but satifsying. Making progress again on annual diet. Oh, and I need to make valentines for DH and to mail off to a few people.

  9. I have been playing ukulele everyday for #dailyfeb2020. If I get good enough maybe I’ll post a video of me playing. So far it’s just pictures of the music, the baritone Uke and one of the dogs! It’s a good daily for me because it helps with the blues I’m plagued with at the moment. The blues are a combination of SAD, losing Moose and hating my job. That didn’t take me long, did it – hating the job.

    I have applied for a new one, but the SAD makes it hard to find that worthwhile. There doesn’t seem to be any really good fit for me. I have specialized talents, and everyone wants a low paid generalist. I should be happy I’m working but I really just want to sleep for a couple of months. I’m like this every winter except when I live in California.

    In another month I’ll be able to turn off my full spectrum light and my spirits will rise with the lengthening of the days. But for now I’m a mope.

    1. A job you hate kills pretty much everything. Mood, attitude, creativity, oomph, motivation, etc. I hope you get the new job, and I hope it gets better. I’m glad you have a hobby that makes you feel better, and the oomph to do it!

    2. I always looked forward to Valentine’s Day because I got home from work right before the sun set and it was light enough to see even with bad weather. Soon the light will stay.

  10. Am still in the midst of turning my mystery series into audiobooks.

    Super fun process. Which is funny because I put it off for years and now wish I’d done it sooner. Then I remind myself there’s probably a timing kismet thing at play, and it’s all good in a “better late than never” way:)

    My book covers are another matter, though. They’re not capturing the right tone of the books. I know because my readers are telling me. But not an easy or quick fix. At least not in time for audiobook release. Le sigh.

    1. There was an author who hated her book covers too (don’t remember her name), but she came up with a creative solution, She got one made that she was happy with and had it as a free download on her website, so her readers could print it out and use it to cover her books.

      1. That is very creative, Kay. Thanks for tip:)

        My issue re covers isn’t so much about liking them, it’s more about whether the covers are sending the right message about the tone of the books so new readers know what they’re getting. But it’s tough to solve because my books don’t fall neatly into one particular market, and of course, current readers need to like the covers as well. Not a particularly original problem since lots of writers have cover blips now and then, but still hard to get right so having a magic wand would come in pretty handy about now;)

    2. Are you doing the audio by yourself? Or did you find an actor to read them? All but the last of mine are on Audio and I have the equipment to record them, but I haven’t actually done it.

  11. I’ve been finishing a bunch of small (cat-sized to lap-sized) quilt tops that were, in turn, an earlier project to finish up a bunch of leftover blocks and scraps.

    I highly recommend checking out #dailyfeb2020 at Instagram, not just for my stuff but for all the other great stuff there.

  12. I have been crocheting baby afghans to donate to a local women’s shelter. Basically a huge granny square of a variety of yarns. Then I decided to knit myself a matching stocking cap and muffler because I put the items on my Christmas wish list but didn’t receive them. Now I remember why I switched to crocheting. With knitting, I have to pay closer attention to switching between stitches to make the desired pattern. I’d completed about 2″ of the cap on round needles from a pattern book when I discovered the “hem” rolled on itself, and I didn’t like every stitch in a 3-stitch pattern being different. Ripped that out and am doing knit 2, purl 2…or so I thought. Because of lack of attention, I have a place with 4 knit stitches in a row and another with 3. Oh well, I’m not making this for a contest but to keep myself warm. My best reward is the relaxing at the end of the day.

  13. I love all of the projects folks are sharing!

    I’m working on putting together a New York Beauty Quilt. It’s on my design wall as I rearrange blocks, and I spent the morning looking through books and magazines to ponder border options for it.

  14. I am trying to sketch a small thing every day, but forgot yesterday, so am counting an illustrated (from public domain images, but still) Powerpoint I’m working on and the 300 words I got written for a project that pays.

  15. Writing, actually writing new book after a long dry spell. I feel like a little kid wanting to splash in all the puddles shouting “I love writing!”

  17. So much knitting and crocheting! Yay! I even supplied my dooter with macrame cord and she does hanging pots for plants.

    What have I made this week? I made it to In Service Training Tuesday and Wednesday. One more day to do, then back to my regular schedule. We started with the regular class on Mental Health, defining all the categories typically seen in prisons. Then we watched videos about Angela Simpson, sociopath, and Ohio’s The New Asylums. Seen them before. Other stuff. Today was searches and defensive tactics. Tomorrow is the annual re-certification of biannual first aid/cpr. We get a card good for two years – the state makes us certify every year. The training ends with Cultural Diversity

    That leads me to my cultural diversity joks: An Englishman, a Scotsman, an Irishman, a Welshman, a Latvian, a Chinese, a Japanese, a New Zealander, a Canuck, an Eskimo, a Fijian, a Turk, an Aussie, an American, a Texan, an Egyptian, a Spaniard, a Mongolian, a Tibetan, a Pole, a Norwegian, a Swede, a Mexican, a Spaniard, a Greek, a Russian, an Estonian, a German, an Indian, an Italian, a Frenchman, a Nigerian, an Algerian, a Libyan, a Brazilian, a Kenyan, a South African, a Filipino, a Pakistani, a Korean, an Argentinian, a Lithuanian, a Dane, a Finn, a Swede, an Israeli, a Romanian, a Bulgarian, a Serb, a Bulgarian, a Ukrainian, a Czech, a Vietnamese, a Cambodian, a Venezuelan, a Peruvian, a Chilean, a Panamanian, a Jamaican, a Bahamian,an Ethiopian, a Zimbabwean, a Samoan, a Singaporean, a dude from Laos, one from Hong Kong, an Indonesian, an Afghan, and a Swiss walk into a swanky bar.

    The bartender says, “Sorry fellas, I can’t let you in here. Not without a Thai.”

    3. Good on you, Gary, you’ve pretty much described the entire makeup of North America. Now if the Americans would only get out and vote we may be getting somewhere.

  18. Well, I made it through my colonoscopy. Does that count as work? (It sure wasn’t play.)

    As usual, most of my work is writing related. I’m almost done with the detailed outline for the new cozy. Soon I should actually be able to get back to writing, which will hopefully go faster.

    Taxes are done and ready to be delivered to my accountant. Yay?

    Plus a bunch of other stuff, none of which is as fun or interesting as crocheting. But I do love looking at everyone else’s work.

  19. I’m still helping clear out my friend’s father’s kitchen. Cleanliness is being achieved but it’s hard work.

    And I went to drawing class again and drew a couple of birds. Much nicer than rats. I learnt a lot, which is great.

    I had plans to draw every day in February. It can’t be February already!

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